Page 26 of A Cowboy's Trust
His lips twitched. “Try me.”
She grinned back. “Just to be clear, yes, I heard your answer. We’re both willing to risk to see if there’s a chance for more. And while you’re not just looking for a good time, I hope we can have some. Sex, that is.”
It looked as if he wanted to swear but mostly his lips moved without any sound coming out.
Finally, Jake cleared his throat. “Blunt.”
“I tend to be. I’m not talking about jumping into bed with you tonight. I enjoy teasing my sister Rose too much that she had a one night stand with Chance. I can’t go and basically do the same thing, or I lose the moral high ground. Plus, it would remove any chance to poke Petra and Aiden that they did it the first time they met. But I am interested?—”
“Hang on.” Jake’s eyes were wide. “What the hell? I mean, the part about my brother and Petra.”
“Really? You haven’t heard this one?” It absolutely was not a secret. “Petra was teasing Aiden about it in the living room a few nights ago, and you and Declan were right there.”
Jake shook his head. He opened his door and came around to the other side of the truck, the cold air sweeping in, making Tansy all the more eager to take his hand and head toward the restaurant. “Let’s order the food, medium to hot, then you can tell me more about the gossip right under my nose that I was unaware of.”
Which is how they ended up with six dishes on the table in front of them, one a little too spicy even for Tansy’s tastebuds. After spilling the dirt on Petra and Aiden, conversation continued to flow about food and their long-ago high school classes, of all things.
It was as if both of them were very deliberately keeping away from serious topics, at least for tonight, and just appreciating each other for who they were. Two people feeling out the future and seeing if there was more than the physical attraction bubbling between them.
Although the attraction was there. Absolutely.
At the end of the meal, as they stepped outside, Jake slid his hand around hers. A shock wave rolled through Tansy from fingertip to toes.
So weird. They were just holding hands for heaven’s sake.
Outside the truck, Jake tugged her to a stop. “We have to nab Jinx at the Stones on our way home. Which means we should conclude our first date here. If that’s okay with you?”
Tansy slid her hands up his chest until she could curl her arms around his neck. “Considering how cold it is outside, we will obviously not be getting beyond first base.”
She really liked his snicker. She liked it even better when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A slow, delicate kiss. A gentle nibble at her lower lip followed by a sweep of his tongue. Nothing demanding, and yet from the way his arms wrapped around her torso, holding her against him, she was not getting away anytime soon.
Which was more than fine. She didn’t want to get away.
They stood there as the icy cold air around them heated a few degrees and a low rumble of need built in her belly.
When he broke the kiss, she smiled into his eyes. “Would it be really terrible to tell you that I plan to use my vibrator tonight and think about you?”
A look of utter pain crossed his face, and Jake squeezed his eyes shut briefly. When he opened them again they were filled with heat and amusement. “You are one ball of trouble.”
“Think of me when you stroke one off,” she suggested.
Jake swore. “Get in the damn truck.”
She leaned in and gave him a final quick kiss then scurried into the passenger seat. When he settled in the driver’s seat, she slid into the center, hip tight against his, and left hand resting gently on his thigh.
He glanced at her in surprise.
Tansy shrugged. “Jinx will need room to sit. And if we’re doing this dating thing for real, it’s not as if we’re keeping a secret.” She eyed him, narrowing her gaze. “You weren’t thinking about keeping it a secret?”
“Absolutely not. In fact, only the fact that your phone went for a swim kept Petra from informing you that she knew I was taking you out tonight alone. She threatened me, as any good best friend would, but didn’t actually hurt me.”
Huh. Tansy thought that one over as Jake got them back on the highway, headed toward Silver Stone. “It’ll be okay. Petra and Sydney like you. Mostly.”
He laughed again and draped his arm around her shoulders as he drove. “This is going to be quite the adventure.”
“Should be fun.”
A shiver stole over her. Was it possible to have one more dream come true? Too soon to tell, but in spite of herself, a tiny flame lit in Tansy’s chest and refused to be extinguished.
